The Daarua Chronicles
by SpaghettiDorito
Summary: On the primitive world of Saranji, she is feared as a demon for her unnatural power. Hated by her own people, the Valihan, she lives an isolated yet peaceful life in the wilderness, permitting the world to forget her existence. But now, a cruel invader from beyond the sky has descended to purge all that would stand against it, and only this demon holds the key to their salvation.
1. Chapter 1

The scent of charred flesh had stained the air, drowning the sweet aroma of spring flowers in the sorrow of the Valihan. Their world was burning at the hands of a remorseless and unrelenting invader that slaughtered all before it. There had been no negotiation, no reason given. There had been only terror, despair, and death.

Warriors defending their homes and families were reduced to piles of smoldering corpses; those same families soon joined them, regardless of their pleas for mercy.

It was the end for the once peaceful world of Saranji. Cities and villages across the planet had been left in ruins, their revered elders slain, tens of millions dead—all in just a few short hours. They didn't even have a name for their destroyers, whose appearance was as varied as it was alien.

Only their purpose was known: slaughter.

Mohan had led his people to the safety of the old catacombs, but he knew it wouldn't protect them forever. Already he could sense them scouring the many caverns and tombs that dotted the countryside, snuffing out any life they discovered within.

It would be their turn soon enough, and not even Bulbul would be able to stop them all. Nobody within any of the thirty-four tribes could.

No, there was only one individual that stood any chance of standing against those demons.

But would she still fight for them, despite their crimes against her?

* * *

"Puah!" Daarua burst through the previously gentle waters of the old river, the roar of the nearby waterfall reasserting itself as her ears drained. Tossing yet another cluster of fish onto the nearby shore with the rest of her catch, she was certain that this would hold her over for the next day or two.

The fish were really anxious today, so catching them had been a little more difficult than it normally was for the twelve year old. Not that she minded a prolonged swim, of course. The sky was free of clouds and the water was nice and warm; it was really the perfect day to be outdoors!

So then why weren't there any birds singing? Why weren't there any animals congregating by the river for a drink? Could it be that they, on some level, were feeling that same ominous 'ki' she had been sensing for most of the day?

She had felt their arrival on the cusp of dawn several hours ago; hundreds, most with a ki too strong to be one of the Valihan. She could tell there was something wrong with them from the very start, but the fact that she could feel the world growing dull to her senses painted a clear enough picture: people were dying. A _lot_ of people.

Well, too bad for them.

Rua wasn't about to lift a finger to save _those_ bastards, not after all they had done. Besides, they all hated her anyhow, so she doubted they would even accept her help.

Her father would probably be disappointed in her for thinking that way. "They're just scared," he'd say. "Don't hate them for their ignorance."

Easier said than done, all things considered.

With sigh of resignation at having to leave the soothingly warm waters of the river, Rua ascended into the sky. Drifting over to where she had piled her clothes, she found it increasingly difficult to ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Was it just her, or were some of those powers she felt earlier getting kind of close? She really hoped not. She _really_ didn't want to get wrapped up in all of this.

It was probably for the best if she hurried on home. Maybe if she kept her head down they would leave her alone.

"Hey, look! I found another brat!"

Or, you know, _not._

"Hah, this one's all by herself," the bizarre creature, floating high above Rua, beckoned for his friends.

He was shaped sort of like a Valihan, a head and four limbs, but that was where their similarities ended. His face was wrinkled and his eyes bulged out like, well, a fish. That was it, wasn't it? He looked kind of like the fish she had just caught!

"Pffft," Rua stifled a laugh, not wanting to provoke a fight if possible.

Unfortunately, he would not be the only freak-face to greet her this day. His companions – nine in all – soon encircled her from above. All of them were wearing the same obsidian cuirass and tights, and had a weird metal _thing_ attached to their right arms, but otherwise were just as distinct from one another as they were from her.

"Let's skin her like the other one, that squealin' was fuckin' hilarious!" One suggested, the group descending to the ground.

"Nah, we gotta keep our material fresh. We'll blast her limbs off one by one this time and watch her flop about," the other creature replied authoritatively. Rua could sense that out of the group of ten, he was the strongest.

"Um, I don't suppose you'd _not_ do that if I shared my fish?" Rua offered, holding up her catch.

Leveling the hunk of metal on his arm at her, his thumb pressed down on a red switch to the side. A sphere of light scorched through the air and reduced her bundle of fish to ashes.

"So, probably not then," she noted.

* * *

"P-please, have mercy!" The dark haired woman begged the looming shadow. Clutching her son tightly to her waist, she knelt forward to shield him with the pathetically minute power she possessed. "We surrender! We'll do anything you want, just pl—"

A sphere of plasma silenced her simpering pleas, burning a clean hole through her backside while removing the brat's head on the opposite end.

"Two-for-one, huh?" Klay yawned, his canine snout parting wide. He'd been trying to make a game of it for the past hour to relieve his crushing boredom, seeing how many he could put down with a single concentrated blast. Best so far was five-for-one, two parents and their trio of brats with a well-timed curveball. He'd have to remember to gloat about it to Chaalk once this pain-in-the-ass operation was over with.

"This world is easily one of the most pathetic we've been to all year," Lomey noted, the violet humanoid cephalopod descending to the ground at Klay's side. "Do we really have to conquer _every_ backwater planet in our path?"

"Seems so, yeah," Klay shrugged. "I guess I can see the appeal, though," he leveled his palm at a distant hut, another luminous sphere reducing the flimsy-looking wooden structure to splinters and fire. "These guys ain't even at the industrial level, so their world's all squeaky clean an' ripe for the taking, 'specially considering how weak they've been so far."

The Energy Potential of the average denizen of this rock was said to be negligible, and the majority of their "warriors" barely even exceeded three-tenths of a single integer. Some squads had reportedly been given trouble by fighters with an EP of about one, but it was nothing for them to be worried about. Their fire team consisted entirely of elite warriors, and even the weakest amongst them was well in excess of seven.

"Still, we'll be here all day at this rate," Klay complained, ear twitching in irritation at the prospect. They had already destroyed their major settlements, was it really necessary to waste time wiping out all of these pathetic little villages? They were _everywhere!_

Another cluster of huts was instantly reduced to woodchips by Lomey, his bulbous head inclining towards Klay. "Well, If Commander Nova wants the population culled to ten percent, then we've—"his sentence was cut short by a piercing whine, the otherwise invisible scleral lens of his sensor now flashing with the unmistakable red glow of an incoming transmission. "Hold on, it's Chaalk."

Klay narrowed his eyes with an accompanying grunt of irritation, his own sensor immediately flashing to life.

"All members of Soyle Team Six are to immediately abandon their current objectives and assemble at the uploaded coordinates," Chaalk's orders emanated from the sensor as if he were present, clear of the distortion common in more primitive technology. "We've just received orders to investigate the disappearance of squad seventy-two in Sector Theta."

"The entire squad? Seriously?!" Klay replied, snout flaring in elation. "Finally, a distraction from all this fuckin' _grunt work!"_

"What do you think could've happened?" Lomey questioned, his translucent aura flaring with his ascent skywards.

Offering a shrug, Klay fell in beside his teammate on their way to the rendezvous. "Hell if I know, but I'm _hoping_ they found someone strong," his slid his tongue across the right side of his snout. "I've been hungry for a good fight."

It didn't take them but a few minutes to reach their rendezvous with the rest of the five-member Soyle Team. From there, they proceeded towards Sector Theta and the site of the missing squad's last known transmission while Chaalk briefed them on the situation.

"Hah, so they _were_ attacked! I knew it!" Klay exclaimed. "To wipe out ten of our soldiers like that, they must've had an EP of _at least_ four or five, right?"

Chaalk inclined his head towards the ecstatic warrior, his reptilian gaze narrowing in irritation. "That's what their last transmission strongly indicated, yes. But don't become _too_ excited, Klay; if they _were_ killed by a powerful enemy, then _I'll_ be the one to face them. Is that understood?"

Klay felt his fur bristle at his saurian team leader's admonishment, but held his tongue. Chaalk was their CO, and for good reason. He held the highest EP amongst them, at a solid ten. Though he still attempted to put up a tough front against the larger alien, he knew that his ears were already pinned back against his head in submission.

Seeing the cold-blooded freak's satisfied grin lit a fire behind Klay's eyes that he only just managed to suppress. "Understood, _sir."_

"Good," Chaalk turned away from the seething canine and set his sights on the battle to come. "Don't worry, though, you'll have a front row seat to the show."

The rest of the squad remained sympathetically quiet, something Klay was quite grateful for. They all knew how it felt to be in his shoes, after all. Chaalk bullied them all.

Still, even if it involved watching this bastard steal all the glory, he relished _any_ distraction from butchering those pathetically weak villagers.

Hopefully their next assignment would be a little more _interesting._

"Here," Chaalk hissed, touching down amidst the remnants of their missing squad, the bodies numbering ten in all. They were spread unevenly over a radius of about ten meters, the grassy field that marked their resting place being otherwise undisturbed.

"Blegh," Klay landed with the rest of the squad, the distinct smell of burnt armor immediately assailing his sensitive nose. "Well, at least they're all accounted for."

"They were all pretty cleanly dispatched," Salene noted, kneeling beside one of the bodies, "with either a blast through the chest or a broken neck, or something of the sort. And note the lack of plasma scarring on the ground, too."

Shifting his gaze to the vulpine woman, Chaalk cracked his neck. "That means it was a really one sided fight, then."

She quickly nodded in response. "Generally speaking, you'll see a lot of environmental damage in contested battles. There's a few scorch marks from their blaster cannons, but that's-"

"Come on, Chaalk, let's get this show started," Silt croaked impatiently, the squat amphibian ignoring Salene's leering glare.

"Fine, fine," the Saurian elite turned away from the massacre, once more lifting into the sky. "There's got to be _some_ sign of the one that—Ah!"

"What?" Klay inquired, rising until he was parallel with his team leader.

Now visible from the sky was an isolated hovel constructed of dried mud. Despite the simplistic building material, it had been expertly sculpted into a dome. The dim glow of a fire drew his eye to…a little girl, who was busying herself by tending to a large wooden spit that held a row of fish along its length.

"What? A kid?" Klay muttered in disappointment, his ears drooping slightly.

"Hnn," Chaalk hissed, his sensor flashing briefly. "EP is rated negligible, but if that's where she lives, then she must've seen _something_. Come on."

The remaining three members of Soyle Team quickly ascended skyward before the five of them drifted towards the lonesome dwelling. When they were within half a kilometer, the girl suddenly stood and stared straight at them, startling the group.

"How'd she…?!" Lomey balked in confusion.

"Some sort of sensory ability, probably. Some species can learn to do that," Salene replied.

Like all the people of this world, the girl was a standard humanoid phenotype with minimal body hair and a slightly dark shade of skin. The black hair growing from her head was long and straight, having been tied into a loose ponytail behind the neck.

Klay had encountered many species that resembled hers, though with varying shades of skin, hair and eyes. He had no idea why they were so common; perhaps it was convergent evolution at work?

"More, huh? Where do you guys even come from?" She spoke, her dark eyes settling on Chaalk. "You sure don't look Valihan. Are you demons?"

Quirking a brow, Chaalk's lips curled back to offer the girl a serrated grin. "'More', eh? Then you _did_ see what happened to the soldiers over there? Tell us."

"They attacked me," she continued to stare at the reptilian warrior, "so I killed them."

"Pfft," several members of the team suppressed their laughter while Chaalk descended to the ground in front of the child. Being roughly three times her height, he was forced to lean forward to properly converse with her.

"Don't lie. We're ruthless killers, you know," Chaalk affixed his slitted gaze to her own, "We've slaughtered countless brats just like you, one more wouldn't mean a thing, so I would suggest you DON'T START EATING!"

"But my fish just got done! Though, they're kinda hot," the girl blew lightly on the modestly charred cod, having retrieved the spit from over the fire. "And I'm _not_ sharing this time, so don't even ask!"

A vein quickly rose on the side of saurian squad leader's temple, his fists balling. "So, you think you can take me lightly, brat? I'll _beat_ the answer out of you!"

Lashing out to seize the girl by the throat, Chaalk felt his claw grasp only the naked air. "W-wha—?!" He glanced up and noted that she was still just a short distance in front of him, and still blowing on the row of fish. "How the—"

"Hey, Chaalk," Klay called out to his squad leader, his right eye flashing with a new series of readings, "hold up, there's something weird about this kid!"

Scanning the girl again, Chaalk's sensor once more reported an EP rating of 'negligible'. Glancing towards Klay, the canine carried a look of realization on his face. "What did your sensor say just now, Klay?"

"F-for just a second," he started, his lips suddenly feeling parched, "it read her at nine."

"Nine? I see," Chaalk replied calmly, returning his eyes to the girl. "She clearly has the ability to rapidly raise and lower her EP, then. That must be why the orbital scan didn't detect her."

Chaalk inhaled, lowering his stance slightly. His aura quickly flared to life a moment later, the fire near the girl's house immediately dying on the wind as his power produced a minor gale storm.

"Haaaah…" The towering leader of Soyle Team Six released a measured breath and rose to his full height once more. "It seems you weren't lying after all. Allow me to reward your honesty _by using my full strength to smear you across this filthy dirtball!"_

Lunging towards his enemy with a searing knifehand chop aimed directly for her head, Chaalk hissed in irritation when she once again managed to narrowly evade him. When a follow up kick failed to produce better results, the reptilian elite unleashed a veritable storm of attacks against the elusive child.

"Can't you do anything but dodge, brat?!" Chaalk's snarled at the girl, but she continued to unashamedly slip away from his every attack, never straying more than a few feet away from her increasingly enraged opponent.

"Like I said, they were still a bit hot," the girl appraised her fish, suddenly holding them out between her and Chaalk, "so I was letting you cool them off with all those weak punches and kicks. I'm good to eat now, though, so get lost!"

Ducking under the last in his progression of strikes, the girl delivered a hard elbow to Chaalk's abdomen. The black armor he wore immediately cracked, and the elite fighter was sent hurtling into a nearby cliff, a deep fissure soon opening along his path as the ground trembled in protest.

"Chaalk!" Lomey's mouth hung agape, "She made him look like a raw recruit! There's no way someone with an EP of nine should be able to—"

"It's not nine," Klay interjected, a nod from Salene and Silt acknowledging their own blinking sensors, "The moment Chaalk started attacking, I got a new reading. It's—" He felt his jaw lock for a moment, the words refusing to be spoken so easily, "—fifteen. Her EP's at _fifteen!_ "

"Fifteen?!" Chaalk hissed, staggering out between the great wound he had left in the mountainside. "She was able to hide that much power?!"

"I wasn't hiding anything," the girl stripped the last of her fish down to the bone and tossed the spit aside. "I was just relaxing. You ought to try it, demon."

Biting down until violet blood dripped from his gums, Chaalk placed a hand on his forearm and leveled his palm towards the girl. _"Get the fuck out of the way!"_

The team, instinctively responding to his order, cleared the path between him and the enemy. They knew the red hue devouring Chaalk's hand all too well. It was his…

" _Gravel maser!"_ A sea of crimson instantly engulfed the girl and the entire surrounding area, a hellish baptism of plasma that would scour the land of all traces of life. It was Chaalk's greatest attack, one usually reserved for the quick annihilation of large concentrations of enemy soldiers.

Shielding his eyes from the violet radiance of the blast, Klay understood that Chaalk wouldn't have used that against a single opponent unless he had been frightened. On some level, it was quite satisfying to see the arrogant lizard cower a bit. On the other hand, he was essentially stuck in the same boat right now.

A tense moment passed before the light finally ebbed enough for the team to appraise the results of their leader's attack, with desolation fanning outwards for a mile where once there had been only lush and vibrant grasslands. Trees, hills—any sort of outcropping, they had all been sterilized by the Gravel Maser.

All of it, save for one remote stretch of land with a house and a girl whose hands were outstretched in opposition to the blast. The landscape told the story, with the destructive force having been split like a wave against the rocks.

"You," She narrowed her eyes on the increasingly pallor lizard, "you almost destroyed my parent's house. You're gonna _pay_ for that!"

"T-this…how could a kid be this strong?!" Chaalk choked out, "Everyone else on this pathetic rock was an _insect_ compared to us! So _how?!_ "

"Twenty!" Salene murmured, catching Klay's attention. "Her EP has increased again, to twenty this time!"

Chaalk's claws bit into the palm of his hands with his ever tightening grip, his eyes bloodshot. Klay had never seen him like this before in all their time together. But then, they had never been forced to content with an opponent so far above them. They were elite warriors, and anyone with a potential this high should have been easily detected from orbit! How could she suppress it to such a minuscule level?!

"Soyle Team Six!" Their leader suddenly howled, snapping Klay from his horrified ruminations, "Attack formation delta!"

With instinct drilled into them and honed in the fire of battle, the five members of Soyle Team Six moved to execute their attack strategy without a moment's hesitation. While the others dashed to either side of the girl, now hovering midair, Silt charged her directly.

"Get ready to taste pain, brat!" Silt taunted her, a fist drawn back in a dramatically choreographed punch.

Turning her head slightly, she extended her fist to meet the oncoming amphibian, causing his body to briefly deform on impact almost akin to a blob of gelatin. Rebounding off her attack like a rubber ball, Silt impacted the ground…and was sent careening right back towards his foe!

Reacting immediately, she struck the bizarre frog creature again with her opposite arm, his body once more contouring to the attack before careening away.

"Strange demon," the girl muttered. She hadn't a clue yet, Klay knew.

Silt was the weakest of them in terms of raw power, but he was _the weird one_. His body was elastic like rubber, making him extremely resistant to physical blows. Furthermore—

"H-hey, what's going on? My arms?!" The girl stammered in confusion, her hands having fallen limp by her side.

—his entire body was able to secrete an acute toxin that caused paralysis on contact. For the next ten minutes she wouldn't be able to so much as wiggle her fingers, never mind raise her arms.

The rest of the squad now had their hands clasped firmly over their ears, for it was now Klay's turn. Filling his lungs with air, he opened his maw and released a rumbling howl, an intense vibration that caused the girl's eyes to glaze over when her stomach no doubt turned on itself.

That was when Lomey appeared in front of their momentarily disoriented opponent and released a glob of black ichor straight into her face, the girl shrieking when she was blinded by the ink.

Chaalk was next, using his great physical strength to restrain her from behind with a bearhug, which was likely much easier in her dazed and partially paralyzed state.

It was up to Salene to see them through to victory now.

Her special technique was the Plasma Scalpel, a blade fashioned from her own energy that could cut through any known material or enemy, regardless of their EP. Enveloping and extending past her hand like the flame of a welding torch, it was their only real means of killing someone so much stronger than themselves.

"This is it!" Salene roared, her blade slicing through the air on a direct course for the monstrous girl's neck.

The girl then screamed, and for the second time during this battle Klay found himself blinded by a sudden flash of light.

Forcing his eyes apart despite their stabbing protests, his jaw immediately went slack in horror. They were gone, both Salene and Chaalk. All that remained were pieces of ash that fell from where that demon of a brat still floated.

"N-no! You _killed_ them!" Klay trembled, the words barely leaving his throat. She then looked straight at him, despite the fact that Lomey's ink still covered her face.

Damn it! Her sensory ability must have told her that Salene was coming! It was his job to take it out with his howl, and he'd failed…

There was now a faint, murky glow surrounding her body, the first hints of an aura he had seen from her. His sensor began flashing brightly, and at this Klay staggered backwards.

"Heh…hahahahah!" He laughed in disbelief at the readings he received. "So that's how it was. We never stood a—"

* * *

"And that was the final transmission we received from Soyle Team Six?!" Commander Nova bared his fangs with a rumbling growl.

The perpetually jittery muroidean communications officer nodded his head, his nose twitching anxiously. "Y-yes sir, I am afraid so."

"BAH!" Nova spat, stalking towards his command chair, his furred tail angrily lashing at the air. Easing himself into the finely crafted seat, the leather's usual snarl of acknowledgment brought him little comfort this day. "To think my best team could be slaughtered by some _brat!_ "

They had undertaken nearly a hundred assignments for him prior to this, and even when facing steep odds had always emerged victorious. While they might have bickered, when things came down to the wire they made an exceptional team. He had only brought them to Saranji to expedite its conquest. To see them actually _die_ on this backwater planet full of weaklings…it disgusted him to his very core!

He could already hear them laughing, his fellow commanders. They would never let him live this blunder down! Their snide jabs and endless attempts to get under his fur would be an unending source of humiliation. But how could he have _possibly_ foreseen _this?!_

No, he needed to focus on the _now_ , to be calm so that he could properly analyze the information his team had given their lives to provide him with in order to determine his next course of action.

"Myo," Nova exhaled sharply, the pantheran commander now seeming far more collected, "what was the last EP reading on that girl?"

"T-the last recording listed her at t-twenty-eight and quickly rising, s-sir," the timid rodent replied, presenting his Commander with Klay's readouts.

"Hmm," Nova stroked his chin with a sombre paw, carefully surveying the blue and green world that his vessel now orbited. "With that level of power, she could have certainly provided a strong opposition to my invasion force, and yet there were no reports of such a formidable warrior until her encounter with squad seventy-two. One would think that she would be eager to defend her world if it were attacked, yes?"

Finally glancing at Klay's last sensor readings, Nova rolled his shoulders. It had been some time since he had personally engaged an enemy on the battlefield, though he had taken pains to ensure he stayed in fighting condition. "By my estimate based on the rate her EP was growing, her true strength would be thirty-five at a _bare minimum_ , and could perhaps be in excess of _fifty_. Those poor fools, they really didn't have a chance."

That kid was at the lower end to qualify for their _Special Forces_ training. To even _request_ the aid of the Empire's commandos required a meeting with King Tandoora himself, which would of course mean admitting that he'd lost control of the situation. As if he hadn't been humiliated enough already…

No, he was a former commando and a battalion commander! He had led more than a hundred successful invasions for his King, and this was but one small bump in the road. Even if her power _was_ over fifty, she was still nowhere close to being his equal. Handling this himself seemed the wisest course of action.

And besides, the loss of his elite force would be but a minor blemish if he could bring this girl into the Empire. She didn't seem to have any particular desire to preserve this world, so it was certainly worth a try.

Like emerald orbs gleaming in the dark, Nova shifted his feline gaze towards Myo again. "Recall the troops. Once they're aboard, I'll be disembarking."

Myo's eyes grew wide at this, "Y-you wish to call off the invasion?"

"For now, yes," Nova permitted. "Monitor my situation closely. If things take a turn for the worse, then withdraw from this system and return to the fleet. Lord Tandoora will need to know of my fate."

* * *

"Ugh," Daarua fell back onto her bed, a towel wrapped about her head. "I thought it was going to be a _nice_ day."

To think she would be attacked by not one, but _two_ groups of those strange demons from the sky. It's not like she had forgotten to suppress her power or anything, so how did they keep finding her? She didn't even have a clue why they were attacking her, or anyone else. They were too busy being all "blah blah blah, I am the death!" to explain anything.

She had never encountered anything like them. They were far stronger than anyone she'd ever felt. The other Valihan wouldn't have a chance against those things. Her arms _still_ felt kind of tingly, even after a few hours and a hot bath.

"I hope that was the last of them," she muttered, drawing the bedcovers to her chin. It felt quieter now. She didn't sense nearly so many strong _ki_ , like they had retreated back into the sky.

Maybe they had enough violence and were going home again? That would be nice. That would mean they wouldn't come knocking down her door in the middle of the—

"Aw, seriously?!" Rua bolted up in her bed, her senses immediately picking up on a rapidly approaching power. "Just one this time—but, oh _wow_ it's big!"

There wasn't even a comparison to be made with the last group; this _ki_ was on an entirely different plane of existence! If you were to compare sensing someone's _ki_ to a gentle mornings dew, this would be more akin to standing beneath a raging waterfall!

Was this how she felt to everyone else?

No, considering how weak they were, she must have felt ten times worse to them.

That _still_ didn't excuse them for all that they did, but she could at least understand now why they were so terrified. It must have been like they were drowning in her power.

"Guess I've got no choice, it's _definitely_ coming this way," she noted, unfurling the towel on her head.

If the last group was any indication, this demon would _also_ come to her looking for its friends. The ones she had _killed_. In self-defense, of course, but it probably didn't care about that little detail.

But she couldn't just sit here waiting for it to arrive! Her parent's house would probably be smashed if they fought near it. They had some way of finding her even when she was hiding her power. She needed to go to _it._

Departing from her home, she quickly placed several dozen kilometers between the modest hovel and herself.

"This should be fine, I hope," Rua muttered.

All she had to do now was wait for the demon to close the distance between them. It shouldn't take long at all, given the speed at which it was…

"Wait," her certainty faltered, "it's not heading towards _me!"_

Crap, crap, crap! It was still flying straight for her _house!_ Why would it do that?! She had to catch up to it, and quickly!

* * *

"Hmm," Nova's sensor searched the region before him for any notable EP signature, without much in the way of success. "Just wild beasts, huh?"

Much the same as Soyle Team Six had done with squad seventy-two; he now followed the trail of his lost elite warrior's last transmission. They had apparently discovered the brat's house, so it was an ideal navigation point.

The majority of his army had successfully disengaged and returned to the ship in orbit, but they were missing squad forty-eight. Apparently they were operating not too far away from here, but they failed to respond to the general withdrawal. Yet another squad down.

He had hoped to gain some insight on the kid's precise location before he came within her visual range, but it didn't seem like that would be happening. He had no choice, then, but to go in blind just like the others had.

"Uh?" An inverted arrow abruptly flashed onto his sensor to indicate that a notable EP was approaching him from his left flank. Without a moment's thought, he spun to confront the only individual it could possibly be.

"So you really _can_ sense us, it seems," Nova chuckled.

The girl immediately came to a stop in front of the pantherine commander, his twin sapphire eyes piercing through her with an almost supernatural glow against the backdrop of his dark fur.

She seemed quite startled by his appearance, judging by her expression. Well, Nova could hardly blame her. He really was quite imposing—

"Wow, you're actually _really_ pretty!" She exclaimed with perhaps a smidgen too much enthusiasm. "The others were total freakos."

"I—" Nova coughed into his paw, thankful that his fur shielded his embarrassment from sight, "—Thank you. So, I take it you're the child behind the demise of my soldiers?"

"They attacked me," she quickly replied, her voice one of placation, "I _had_ to kill them, okay? I'm not the one that keeps picking fights here!"

Nova inclined his head in acknowledgment. That was good; she was trying to explain her situation. Establish an understanding. Perhaps she would indeed be open to joining their forces, if he played his cards right.

"I understand. My soldiers can be overzealous at times, I apologize," he crossed his left arm over his cuirass and offered a light bow to compliment his expression of remorse. "Please know that I, Commander Nova of the Eighth Battalion, bear you no ill will."

"R-really?" She stammered, her expression betraying the girl's shock. "You don't wanna fight?"

"Of course not," his lids fell partially over his eyes to emphasize his passivity, "I simply wished to speak with the child that possesses such extraordinary power."

"Um, okay," The girl replied with no small degree of unease, "I guess talking couldn't hurt? I'm Daarua. Or just Rua."

If his mouth were capable of smiling more than it naturally did, Nova certainly would be doing so now. His plan was going well. He had successfully opened a discourse with the girl—Rua—and now he merely needed to present his offer.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Rua," Nova replied cordially, making conversation first to avoid seeming too forceful. "I must confess that I am far from knowledgeable of your customs, but is it normal for a child your age to be on her own? Where are your parents?"

"Dead. Both of them," Rua answered, her eyes briefly closing. "And I dunno. It's probably not normal? I don't interact with other people much."

"I see, well—"

"My turn," Rua interrupted the feline alien, "Are you guys demons? My dad used to say demons come from the sky, and you guys sure aren't Valihan."

"No," Nova answered evenly, burying his mild irritation at her interjection. "I am a creature of flesh and blood, like you. I come from beyond the sky, from a different world not entirely dissimilar from your own, here."

"Wah?!" Her dark eyes seemed to light up like a newborn sun, her head rising to look at the clear night sky above them, "S-so, you come from—"

"The stars, yes!" He proclaimed, spreading his arms apart in a grandiose gesture towards the heavens, "Each of the tiny dots you see there shine with the same intensity as the burning sphere that gives your planet light, and some even have worlds much like this one!"

Nova observed her expression of wide-eyed astonishment with extreme satisfaction. She was curious, full of wonderment; this was perfect! His origins were a point of interest and enthusiasm for her. This would be the method through which he ensnared her!

"Would you like to see them for yourself? The many suns, the many worlds?" He words dripped with honey, enticing her to lower her guard so he could at last bring her into the fold.

"Huh? You mean you'd show me your world?" Rua blinked, seeming uncertain of how to react to this offer.

Nova inclined his head towards her, "And many more, if you will but lend your formidable strength to the forces of my Lord, King Tandoora!"

"My…wait; you wanna make me _attack_ people? Like those other d— _outsiders_ did?" She noticeably blanched at this, steadily drifting away from him. "No way! I'm not gonna hurt people I've never even met before!"

Nova immediately bared his fangs in startled frustration, his body tensing. Damn it, she certainly put two and two together far more quickly than he had anticipated. He thought she would've been too excited at the prospect leaving this primitive ball of mud to even _consider_ that reality.

He needed to ease her into this, it was now clear. Gradually expose and desensitize her to the prospect.

"No, no, don't misunderstand!" He pleaded, outstretched paws turned on their backs, "The soldiers that attacked you were acting against my instructions. We merely seek to uplift and educate the worlds we conquer!"

"Is that why they've been _killing everyone?"_ Rua's question pierced Nova's mask of confidence and left the alien agape. "I could sense everyone dying all over the planet. While I can't stand those guys, I'd never do what you do!" She pulled down her eyelid and stuck her tongue out.

"Shit!" Nova spat, his plan having unraveled just as victory was within his grasp. "It seems I underestimated just how vast your sensory ability was." His broad shoulders fell as his gaze hardened. "Very well, though; if you will not aid in spreading the glory of King Tandoora, then you are just another obstacle to be removed!"

"Hrrnnnnnn!" Nova fell into a horse stance in midair, sparks of power snapping across his form as he channeled his full electric potential. Where once there was a gentle breeze, a veritable hurricane now existed. Like the ember of a gaslight fire, the Commander's azure battle aura enveloped his form.

With a final grunt, Nova instantly dispelled the maelstrom he had created, once again allowing the peaceful night to reassert itself. He had more than doubled the power he possessed in his resting state, and seeing the girl's startled expression brought him no small amount of exultation.

"Now, witness the full might of Commander Nova!" He roared, closing the distance between them in the breadth of an instant, a booted heel colliding with the brat's face with the kinetic force of a thousand megatons.

Engulfed in a burning aura of pure friction, she tore through the night sky, toppling a great mountain in the distance as if it were a house of cards before reaching her final destination, where for a brief period the night was peeled back as if a second sun had just been born.

Protected by his aura, Nova observed the results of his attack; incandescent material harmlessly pelted him. He wouldn't be surprised if everyone on the planet felt the ground quake beneath their feet from _that_ impact.

"Well, that's that, then," Nova sighed. "It's a shame, really; she could've definitely surpassed me with bit of time and training—" his sensor flashed, his voice falling silent.

Bursting from the impact crater was the unmistakable teardrop of a battle aura in motion, the girl rapidly closing the distance between them before abruptly coming to a halt but a few meters away. Her clothes – some sort of tribal gi judging by appearances – were in tatters, her hair, once tied behind her, was now undone, and her body was covered in many small cuts and bruises, including a rather prominent blemish on the right side of her face.

"One hundred twelve EP, more than twice my highest estimate for your power," Nova muttered, more to himself than Rua. "To survive my attack with only superficial damage, truly, you are something special. Please, won't you reconsider my offer? It would be such a _terrible_ waste to kill you."

Rua continued to silently float before him, an arm rising to wipe away the narrow river of blood that leaked from the corner of her mouth where she had been kicked.

"Make no mistake, while it is true that I greatly underestimated your strength, you still stand no chance of defeating me," Nova explained to her. "My EP stands at one hundred seventy-five. That is almost a sixty percent difference between us."

Lowering her arm from her lips, Nova saw that she now wore a light smirk. "I have a good idea of where we stand now," she replied to him. "I'd never felt anyone else with a ki that huge, so I felt a bit overwhelmed at first."

"Dad always told me to only use as much power as was necessary, but now," she mimicked Nova's previous stance, the air once more churning between her and the alien commander, "I feel like I can _really_ cut loose!"

Nova's eyes parted in shock, his sensor once more blinking frantically to calculate the threat he faced. "One forty-five…one eighty…N-no, two hundred?! Stop!" He practically begged, launching himself at her with a winding haymaker.

What little clouds remained were instantly parted, the impact splitting open the night sky and pushing Rua's head to the side—until she forcibly pushed back against his fist to meet the feline alien's gaze.

"N-no! NO, NO, NO!" He screamed, unevenly floating away from her. "This isn't real! I'm having a fucking _nightmare!_ "

Leveling both of his opened paws at her, he formed a great golden sphere of plasma twice his own size. Set for a collision course with the girl, it instantly cast the entire region in a blinding flash of light, scorched atmosphere filling his nostrils. It was fortunate that they were in the air, Nova knew, for the planet may not have otherwise survived it.

Forcing his eyes to endure the light of his own attack, Nova was rewarded only with the sight of his unscathed opponent, her aura now burning with an unmatched luminance. His sensor had now finished with its calculation of her Energy Potential. "Over five hundred…?"

* * *

"Yeah, that sounds about right, I guess," Rua shrugged towards the decidedly less haughty-looking creature from another world. "I'm three times stronger than you, or something like that."

Before Nova could so much as twitch a finger, Rua appeared in front of the much larger being, delivering a sundering blow to his solar plexus. Like a comet traveling in reverse, he blazed his way back into the heavens from which he came, only for Rua to intercept him with a chopping kick to his back that sent him plummeting towards the planet again.

Reaching out to seize his powerful black tail long before he could impact the ground, she began to rapidly spin in place, swinging the invader in a tight circle at ever accelerating speeds until finally releasing him at the apex of their rotation.

Ripping through the night at velocities that were painfully beyond sound's grasp, his obsidian form gouged a deep wound into Saranji's crust as he tried and failed to stop his progression in forging the world's newest canyon.

Only after gravity finally brought him to a stop did Nova tear himself from Saranji's hold, shakily rising skyward. His armor had suffered damage enough to be effectively useless, and blood poured from many wounds beneath his dark fur. With every cough forced from him came a thick red mist, his entire form still trembling from the internal damage he had clearly suffered.

Descending to meet her broken foe, Rua observed his damage with a light frown. "You know, even though you talk more, you're no less evil than the others."

"No," she retracted, an outstretched palm forming a sphere of golden _ki_ , "Actually, you might be worse, since you try to trick others into being like you."

Still unable to mount any sort of resistance, Nova clutched his broken ribs, bloodied teeth grinding against themselves. Crimson fluid poured down his chin and matted in his fur, the once imposing creature now utterly shattered.

Releasing a light sigh, Rua lowered her arm, the _ki_ she had gathered quickly dissipating. "Still, after talking to you for so long, and learning your name…it feels too messed up to kill you."

She met his eyes, one of which was still winced shut. "Just go. Leave this planet, and don't you or any of your friends ever come back again."

Nova failed to respond to her mercy in any noticeable way. Hovering before Rua, he seemed to have exhausted his words along with his ability to meaningfully counterattack. That was when she sensed it: his ki was growing!

"Uh?!" Rua looked on agape. How was his ki increasing all the sudden? It'd dropped quite a lot after she'd knocked him about, and he definitely wasn't exaggerating his injuries. No, there was something weird going on, and the unnatural feel of the expanding power within him backed her assessment up.

It felt less like someone growing stronger, and more like someone being _gorged_ with energy far beyond their ability to control.

And that was _before_ he started glowing.

The once jet black creature now shined with a resplendent golden light, an intense heat radiating from him. Through narrowly parted eyes, Rua could see his mouth slowly opening, his words barely audible.

"Banzai…King Tandoora…!"

* * *

It seemed as if this nightmare would never end for Mohan and his people.

The army of demons had withdrawn, for the time being, but now the heavens bled light and Saranji trembled beneath it. It was the end of their world, everyone could feel it. So many were already dead, so much was lost. A population in the hundreds of millions reduced to a tenth of that in less than a day.

The only hope they now clung to was that the nightmare would soon end so that they might join Ravanahatha in paradise.

That end at last seemed to be upon them when the night was peeled back and Saranji felt as if it would crumble beneath the inexorable shockwaves that hammered her already wounded form.

—and then it had faded. The light, the tremors, all became silent and right again. From within their shelter in the catacombs of the Old Kingdom, people emerged to witness – to their awe – that their world yet endured.

That was when Mohan saw her.

Lying on her side amidst a pool of blood and tattered clothing, a girl no older than twelve stared back at him with fear in her eyes.

She struggled to move, but only succeeded in rolling onto her backside.

"Do not be afraid, child," He comforted her. Kneeling beside her, he lifted the girl off the ground and turned to face his people again.

And in their eyes he too saw fear.

"What are you doing, Elder Mohan?" Bulbul, one of their last remaining warriors, demanded while leveling his spear at the girl. "Do you not know what _that_ is? Kill it, while we have the chance!"

"No," Mohan firmly rejected his order, "She will live. She _must_ live."

"But that's—"Bulbul froze beneath the intense glare of Mohan and knew that he was beaten, for now. "I understand, _'Revered'_ Elder."

"Yes," Mohan stared down at her, "This girl must live, if any of us might still hope to."

* * *

 _A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of The Daarua Chronicles! I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts/advice/criticism. I realize some might be confused by my Energy Potential system, so allow me to explain the basic idea._

 _1 unit of Energy Potential is roughly equal to 1,000 units on a Scouter. Thus, the average soldier in Tandoora's army has a Power Level of 1,000, in comparison to the average Valihan with an EP of 0.3 (300)._

 _Valihan physically resemble homo sapiens, in particular those of Indian descent. Their culture, however, is distinct from any on Earth, and will be revealed in upcoming chapters! I plan on this being a broad spanning story if it proves to be popular, hence the word 'Chronicles' in the title!_


	2. Chapter 2

"That's right, Rua, focus," Esrajen smiled, his face creasing ever so slightly with experience. "Learning to draw out only what you _need,_ that's the key to staying hidden."

"Osu!" Daarua gave a firm nod, stepping forward to strike at the air with her fist.

It was a good day to practice. The sun blazed overhead and the birds offered their gentle chorus to the ten year old and her father while they trained. They had been at it for the past four hours and it would soon be time for lunch.

"Good, good," he nodded in approval, "Your _ki_ barely spiked at all that time! You've become quite adept at suppressing your power."

The creak of a door brought a pause to their training session, the pair turning to face the raven haired woman and the boiling pot she held within her mitted hands. Though it was sealed to prevent the loss of heat, Rua could nevertheless feel its succulent aroma assailing her nostrils.

"Wow, mom," she exclaimed, rushing up to the older woman, her footsteps poorly masking the grumble of her stomach, "that smells _amazing!_ "

"Well, you've been working hard," she grinned at her daughter, setting the pot down on the nearby table. "I figured you'd need the energy."

Grinning slightly, Rua hopped onto one of the seats and hungrily eyed her would-be meal. "I'll try and save at least _some_ for dad."

"Oh, that won't be a problem, you silly," her mother laughed. "Your father won't be joining us. After all," she removed the lid, steam pouring forth to reveal Esrajen's bloated, pallor head floating within the pot, _"you let him die."_

* * *

"D-DAD!" Rua gasped, shooting straight up like an arrow until her head collided with the ceiling, the hardened stone chipping against a yet harder skull. "Owww… _shit_ , that hurt!"

Now _that_ had been a nightmare. Not that it was the first, but she hadn't had one quite that bad in some time now.

"Wait a second," She muttered, glancing about the dimly lit room, "this isn't my house?"

No, this wasn't her house. It looked almost like a tomb!

Well, a tomb that had been done up like a bedroom, in any case. There were rugs on the floor, and of course a bed. Candles were scattered throughout to provide some modicum of light and by her mattress was an awestruck-looking girl, just a few years older than herself.

"Wow!" The girl gasped, "Y-you're really awake!"

She then raised her hands, as if trying to placate Rua. "Oh wow, listen, stay right there, okay? I'll go get my grandfather! Right. He's the Revered Elder, s-so just wait!"

Before Rua could properly articulate a response, the other girl had vanished through a door at the far end of the room, leaving her to herself in this strange environment. She had zero clue how she'd wound up here, with _people_.

"Ugh," Rua balked, warily descending back towards the floor, "I feel weird. _Bad_ weird."

A cursory glance at herself revealed bandages. How'd she get injured?

 _This_ was certainly a first for her. Not much could hurt her, after all. How could she have possibly been wounded badly enough to require all of this? Was she ambushed in her sleep or—

Gnnn!" She raised a hand to her forehead, a veritable tidal wave of memories forcing their way to the surface. "T-that's right! That demon—no, _outsider_ , he blew himself up right in my _face!_ What an _asshole!_ "

And right after she had offered to spare his life, too!

But how did she get inside this crypt? That girl had mentioned a Revered Elder, but there was no way that could be right; one of _those_ jerks would never have treated her injuries. They all wanted her dead, just like the other Valihan they ruled over.

The sudden click of the doorknob drew the injured outcast from her ruminations, her abyssal gaze narrowing on the wizened individual that quietly stepped before her. Silver strands of wild and unkempt hair glistened against the candlelight, a matching beard falling beneath his neck. Many decades worth of ridges lined his face, particularly when he attempted to disarm her with his smile.

"Hello, child," he spoke in a grandfatherly voice. Or, at least, how she'd imagine a grandfather might sound. "I'm glad to see you've finally awoken. I've been quite apprehensive regarding your survival for these past few weeks."

"Oh, I'll bet," Rua scoffed, "No Valihan would _ever_ help me, especially a 'Revered Elder'."

Raising a gnarled hand to stroke his beard, he chuckled, "Well, it remains to be seen just how 'Revered' I still am after saving _your_ life, young lady."

"So _you_ personally saved me?" She asked, dubiety thick on her words, "I find that really hard to—"

Her eyes fell once more as she trailed off, observing her many bandages. Yeah, these _had_ to come from somewhere, but that begged one really simple question.

"Why?"

Releasing a burdened sigh, the elder stepped further into the room, hands folded behind a sloped back. "It must seem quite strange to you," he confessed.

" _That's_ putting it mildly. Whenever I've encountered you guys, you either ran away or tried to _kill_ me," she angrily recounted, her eyes never sparing the old man.

"I will not lie," he turned to face her, his eyes gleaming in the light from sunken pits, "when we found you, you were on the brink of death. Many demanded that I slay you whilst we had the chance, but I refused. I've since used my position as Revered Elder to safeguard you while you recover."

Rua's jaw went slack at the latter revelation, words failing her. This old geezer had protected her? Not only that, but if she knew how most Valihan were, then he probably did it at the expense of his own reputation and status among his tribe!

"I," she finally choked out, "I thought everyone considered me a demon?"

The elder slowly dipped his head, "Many do, but most are simply afraid. You carry the blood of the oppressors within your veins."

"Yeah, I've heard that before," she quickly replied. "My father told me how centuries ago there were Valihan that were born naturally stronger than the others. They used their power to rule the planet."

"That's right," He tugged lightly on his beard once more. "But their reign was one of unparalleled brutality and tyranny. It was only when one of their own, Ravanahatha, stood up to oppose them that we were able to bring an end to their rule."

A bitter smile slid across Rua's face in response to this, her eyes piercing the old man's. "Uh-huh. And _that's_ your excuse for killing newborns with that power."

"Indeed," the elder averted his gaze in shame.

He seemed to view this as something morally wrong, she noted. That was especially bizarre. She knew for certain that Ravanahatha worshipers (basically the whole planet) viewed it as a sacred duty intrinsic to their religion.

"How'd a weirdo like you even become Revered Elder, anyway?" Rua folded her arms, though not without a slight wince of pain.

A low, guttural laughed cascaded off the walls of the room, a smile stretching across his lips. "My name is Mohan, and I didn't always see the world with such clarity, you know. Once, I too was a zealous follower of the teachings of Ravanahatha."

"Until?" She arched her brow.

"Until I realized the full ramifications of our actions, and what it would eventually mean for our people," he sighed again, straightening his back with a rewarding _pop_. "In my studies, I discovered our population was in decline across the planet even _before_ the demons arrived to hasten the process. The reason, I learned, was that the blood of the oppressors was in fact _a dominant trait_ ," he met Rua's gaze with a look of knowing sorrow.

"What's a 'dominant trait'?" She scratched the side of her head, causing him to sputter.

Coughing into his fist to draw attention away from his reddened cheeks, Mohan elaborated. "It means, in essence, that we have been killing off our people in a futile effort to prevent the oppressor bloodline – _your_ _bloodline_ – from erasing our own. At the rate we were progressing, we would likely be extinct within a few centuries."

"Oh," Rua blinked. "Well, that's both evil _and_ dumb, then."

"Indeed," Mohan bowed his head in agreement, "when I presented my findings to my own tribe, the reaction was one of shock and hostility. My position as elder fell under… _contention._ It was only through the arrival of the demons that I have retained my title."

She couldn't help but smirk a little at this, an affirmation of how at least the _majority_ of Valihan behaved. "Oh, that's rich. I'm _sure_ that Ravanahatha would condone them submitting to a heretic in order to save their own skin. I suppose even fools can learn pragmatism when there's a dagger at their throat."

"My," Mohan tilted his head, "you are rather well-spoken for someone your age."

"Oh, uh, thanks. Mom and Dad were both like that, and I've read lots of their books since they died," she replied, running a hand across her arm. Yet more bandages. "I like reading books. When you live on your own for two years, there's not a whole lot _else_ to do."

His sterling mustache formed an upward crescent at this, the old man extending a hand towards the doorway. "If you enjoy books, then it might interest you to know that we have salvaged quite the library in the past few weeks. Since you're still injured, you're welcome to read through it to pass the time."

Glancing down at her body once again made it quite apparent to Rua that she wouldn't be doing any physical activities for a good while. She looked like a mummy, and felt like one too.

"Wow, I really _am_ a mess, huh?"

"Indeed," Mohan chuckled, "you were at death's door, as I said; but do not fear: you shall be good as new within the coming weeks. The 'Toombi Powder' we've routinely applied to your wounds will completely heal your injuries, but it takes time."

"Um, question," she raised a (also bandaged) finger, "just how long was I out?"

"Eighteen days," the elder replied, "My granddaughter, Sarinda, kept watch over you the entire time. Please remember to thank her."

Rua narrowed her eyes on the door for a moment before glancing at the old man. "So, then, I can just leave this room?"

"Of course you can!" Another girl's voice exclaimed, causing Rua to turn and see the girl from earlier standing in the doorway. Her altogether too enthusiastic smile was making it difficult to focus on her, like staring into the sun. "You're not a prisoner here!"

"Sarinda, I take it?" Rua quirked a brow, which quickly fell into a wince when the other girl beamed in joy at the fact that she already knew her name.

"That's right!" She practically leaped the distance between them, causing Rua to take a step back. "It's so _awesome_ that you're finally awake now! I could barely calm down enough to even tell my grandfather!"

Rua nodded her head slowly; she could believe that. "Um, I'm just going to go to the…library?"

"OH!" Sarinda chirped with a clap of her hands, "We've got _so_ many books there! I recovered a lot of them myself! Come on, I'll take you there right now!"

Watching Sarinda frantically wave for her to accompany her out the door, Rua gave a quick glance back to Mohan, whose only response was to offer her a crutch to support herself with. She admittedly needed it.

As it turns out, she should have just stayed in that room.

Loneliness and isolation were old companions by now, and ones she knew how to deal with. Walking through this underground labyrinth-turned-city, however? That was unlike anything she had ever experienced. The passageways were kept lit through the copious application of candlelight, while modest homes and other dwellings had been repurposed or even _carved_ from the old catacombs.

That wasn't so bad in itself. It was sort of like an adventure, even; exploring the vast subterranean maze.

No, what _really_ bothered her were the stares. Talking to Mohan and then Sarinda had caused her to almost lower her guard and forget that they were the exception, not the rule.

Shops had inexplicably closed upon her approach, parents hid their children away from her, guards shot her dirty looks and people of all shades and walks of life whispered things that fortunately went unheard. But hey, she supposed that was _still_ an improvement, right?

At least they weren't attacking her.

"Um, Sarinda," Rua cast her sights on the girl at her side, "How did you guys set all this up in less than three weeks?"

"Oh," the older girl glanced down at her, "refugees from other tribes flocked to these catacombs after their Revered Elders were slain by the demons! They've all been laboring diligently to make a new home here for everyone!"

"Though, much of it was already in place from the old kingdom," she noted, gesturing to a former tomb, "so there were already many potential 'homes' that we repurposed! This place was where the old Oppressor Kings buried the dead members of their families, you see. Nobility only! There's even a chamber specifically _for_ royalty further on down! Since everyone's afraid of the old Kings, though, nobody's gone down there yet."

"I see," Rua murmured. She hadn't really cared _that_ much, she just wanted a quick conversation to distract her from all the piercing glares. She'd managed to get a look at herself in a mirror earlier, and not only was the majority of her body covered in bandages, but even parts of her face were all wrapped up. Most distressing of all was that her hair had been reduced to barely more than a buzz cut!

Apparently, most of it had been burned away when Nova blew himself up. Her scalp was undamaged thanks to the Toombi Powder, but it would take _forever_ to regrow it all.

Offering a smile to Rua while she was in act of self-consciously picking at her hair, Sarinda gently touched her on the arm. "Hey, your hair looks fine. Short suits you!"

Rua flinched away from her attempt at comfort. "It's not whether it looks good that bothers me. I styled my hair like my mothers. Taking care of it—" she glanced at a mother ushering her daughter away from their approach, "—reminded me of our time together."

"Oh," Sarinda fell silent, an awkward unease now apparent on her face.

It felt like she might have come across a bit more harshly than she intended to. Sarinda had been really nice to her, just like Mohan. Neither of them deserved any attitude from her. It could just be difficult sometimes, not lashing out at the first Valihan she encountered. It felt almost like an instinctual reaction by this point.

But letting one's instincts rule them was the providence of a beast, her father once said, and she was no beast.

"Sorry," Rua bowed her head lightly; "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just not used to talking to _people_ , you know?"

"Oh, no! Don't worry! I wasn't upset," Sarinda quickly reassured her with a wave of her hands, "I was just worried that I said something dumb. I sometimes do that when I try too hard to make new friends."

"Ah," Rua chewed lightly on her lip. She _really_ wanted to say something nice _._ To talk _more_ to her. The words just weren't coming to her, though. There was only one thing she could think of, but it felt _really_ bold, all things considered.

She couldn't ask that. Not here, with so many people boring holes into her with their eyes. It felt wrong. It felt like nothing more than wishful thinking, and it would probably just make them hate Sarinda too.

Shaking her head, it was only then that Rua noticed that they had come to a stop in front of yet another structure that had been carved from the walls of the catacombs.

"This is the library," Sarinda explained. "Well, that's probably a bit too formal. It's where we threw all the books and scrolls we were able to recover. It's all pretty disorganized in there!"

"Yeah, I guess you've had bigger priorities," Rua smirked. "It's fine. I'm sure I'll find my way around the place."

* * *

"How long do you intend to let this farce continue, Revered Elder Mohan?" Bulbul demanded, a steadily growing crowd jeering at the old man from behind the powerfully built warrior. In less than an hour they had descended upon the cavernous ossuary at the heart of the catacombs, the former chamber of the dead having become the effective town center for their subterranean city. "Was it not enough that you gave shelter to that _demon_? Must you permit it to walk among our children?!"

A cacophony of ridicule surged from the assembled mob, their voices drowning one another until all that remained was an indecipherable roar of outrage. Through all of this Mohan remained silent, allowing their frustration to wash over him. Only when the uproar at last settled did he speak.

"My people, has not everything I spoke of come to pass?" He raised his hands to garner their attention, his thundering voice rising above any lingering dissonance. "I promised that this girl possessed the power to banish the demons back from whence they came, and indeed, our scouts have discovered the bodies of a number of these abominations near her very home!"

Bulbul stepped forward to speak again, but Mohan was quick to continue. "The demons have fled, and it was due to the actions of that little girl! You all felt it that night, when the sky was set alight and she fell into our arms!"

Screams of protest once more erupted from the assemblage before him, his words clearly lighting a fire within the more religious-minded among them.

"You talk of fighting demons _with_ demons!" Bulbul slammed the base of his spear against the ground, the crowd once more falling silent with this motion. Taking yet another step towards Mohan, the warrior sneered. "You have quite the penchant for selling _blasphemy_ , Elder, but now that the demon threat has ended I see no reason to harbor this foul creature."

"And if the demons should return, then what, Bulbul?" Mohan challenged, striding forward with more energy than a man of his years had any right to. More than he could afford, really. "If they threaten us here, will _you_ stop them with your spear?"

Inclining his towering form towards the elder, Bulbul met his gaze. "I will. Do not forget that it was _I_ , _Bulbul_ , that felled the demon that attacked us as we fled!"

"I have not," Mohan assured him, "nor have I forgotten that you were _powerless_ to prevent the destruction of our home. If you alone were capable of routing their armies, why didn't you save our city?"

A vein rose along the warrior's temple, his spear trembling within his grip. "You…are fortunate that I do not _snap_ your withered neck right here, _old man._ I doubt many would object at this point. But I, unlike _some_ of us, do still respect our traditions!"

It was obvious to Mohan where this was going. He knew it would happen eventually, though he'd hoped that he might have a little more time.

Turning his back on him, Bulbul spread his arms apart, appealing to the crowd. "I, Bulbul, last and greatest warrior of the Vadhyam tribe, call for the impeachment of Revered Elder Mohan! He shall be judged before his peers to determine if he is still _truly_ worthy to lead us in our darkest hour!"

Assorted cries of shock and adulation inundated the ossuary, the incomprehensible roar burying any hope for reason beneath it.

Sighing deeply in resignation, Mohan could only stare on in silence. There was nothing he could say at this point that wouldn't make the situation even worse. Soon, chaos would overtake the streets when word spread. The impeachment of a Revered Elder was exceptionally rare in Valihan culture, and none had been called throughout the entire history of the Vadhyam tribe.

"It seems I have at last overstepped my bounds, then," Mohan sighed, casting his eyes to the heavens, hidden beneath the catacombs though they were.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this impeachment than one angry warrior and an all-to-easily easily incited mob.

* * *

"Wow," Rua glanced over the scroll, "you've even got catalogues of all the different kinds of _roots!_ "

Giggling from behind her hand, Sarinda quickly nodded. "You really do love reading, don't you?"

Rua had been tearing through the wide assortment of books and scrolls that had been haphazardly tossed about the "library" for the past hour non-stop. All the while she had eagerly talked the teenage girl escorting her nearly to death, she was certain. Conversations about the books themselves were most common, of course, but talk of politics and religion had also managed to pepper their discussion.

Through it all, though, she couldn't help but shake the feeling that she had missed something important. Something she was supposed to do _before_ talking the ear off her host.

"Oh," She smacked her head, "I'm so _dumb_ ; I didn't introduce myself, did I? I'm Daarua, but just call me 'Rua'!"

Sarinda had given her introduction (like a functional, intelligent person) when they had first met, but she was still being her moody, introverted self at the time and hadn't extended the same courtesy. Not that the other girl had apparently minded too much. She seemed really tolerant of her bad attitude.

"It's fine, it's fine," Sarinda grinned broadly, her face easily outshining the candlelight of the room. "I'm really happy to meet you, though, Rua!"

Yup, no anger, just like she thought. Now if only the other Valihan could be more like _her_ , Rua's life would've been so very much easier.

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking," Rua started, setting the scroll aside, "how come you were the one watching over me? Is that your job or something?"

"Oh, when you were comatose?" Sarinda brushed a strand of ebony hair from her eyes, "No. Well, not _officially_ or anything. My grandfather just needed all the help he could get, and since he's the Revered Elder, he didn't have time to constantly look after you personally. Most were afraid of you, so I volunteered."

Rua stared at her in silence, the question in the back of her mind taking several moments to work its way forward. "Why weren't _you_ afraid of me?"

"Well, to be honest," Sarinda averted her eyes, "I sort of _was_ , at least at first. People said you were a demon, that you—" her lips pursed, her words trailing off.

"I what? Go on," Rua encouraged her.

Taking a breath, Sarinda forced herself onwards. "—that you killed Bulbul's father."

Rua's eyes widened, words failing her in that moment. All she could do was stare at the girl across from her even as Sarinda refused to meet her gaze. It seemed like a solid minute passed between them before she finally spoke. "I-I'm not sure how to—wait, who's Bulbul?"

Grabbing the side of the wall to keep from falling from her chair, Sarinda coughed into her closed hand. "Erm, h-he's a warrior from our tribe. Our last, but also our strongest. He was able to slay one of the demons when they attacked us."

"Oh, I didn't know you had people that strong," Rua replied, a dash of intrigue lining her words. "I might've killed his dad, but only if he attacked me."

Sarinda grimly lowered her head, something about Rua's words seemingly affirming her suspicions. "I thought as much. Yes, he very likely attacked you."

Rua wasn't quite certain how to react to that. On the one hand, it was difficult to feel _too_ bad about killing one of the many people responsible for tormenting her over the past two years, but on the other, she also understood how much losing somebody's father could hurt. Knowing she caused someone else that sort of pain caused a knot to form in her stomach.

Still, it didn't feel right to outright _apologize_ for defending herself. She'd only ever killed those that tried to do the same to her, and had never caused trouble for anyone that didn't start shit with her first. Until the outsiders came, she had never even left the area around her home!

"Um, I don't really know how to respond," Rua finally admitted to Sarinda. "This Bulbul person probably hates me. I guess I can't blame him."

Sarinda's expression softened at this, the teen immediately standing and placing her arms on Rua's shoulders. "I can't speak for Bulbul, but _I_ don't blame you. You were all alone out there, and I know if I were in your place, I would be so terrified that I would likely do anything I had to in order to survive."

Rua reached up to place her hands on top of Sarinda's, though she couldn't feel much through her bandages. It was strange…she would've _never_ allowed someone to get this close to her before today, but with this girl she'd only met a few hours ago, she felt like there wasn't anything to be afraid of.

Maybe it was her gentle ki, or maybe it was just because she was one of the first people to show her kindness and understanding since her parents died. Either way, she now felt like she could say what she wasn't able to earlier.

"D-do," Rua looked up at her, breath catching in her throat, "do you want to be friends?"

That moment right before Nova had exploded was undoubtedly the brightest flash of light she had ever witnessed, but the smile Sarinda now wore gave it some strong competition. Feeling the other girl's arms close around her shoulders and draw her into a warm embrace, Rua could only close her eyes and enjoy her scent. It reminded her of spring flowers, even though they were so deep underground.

"Of course we can be friends!" Sarinda continued to shine. "People associate me with my grandfather, so I don't have hardly anyone to talk to here," she admitted.

"Ah, Mohan told me he wasn't very popular with folks here," Rua glanced up at her. "I'm sorry you've had it rough cause of that."

"Thanks, it's been pretty lonely, I have to admit," Sarinda sighed lightly, though her smile endured. "But that just makes me even happier that you're here now, Rua!"

Giggling slightly at her perpetually upbeat friend, Rua felt her worries melting away just from being close to someone willing to talk to her without trying to manipulate or use her for some goal. Or at least, she didn't _seem_ to be.

No, don't be paranoid! There was no good reason to suspect Sarinda of anything, and she'd been really nice to her. Nicer than anyone in years!

It just all seemed to be happening so fast.

She was in the lair of her enemies, people that wanted her dead and weren't afraid to show it on their faces. Yet, here she was embracing one of them. It was so _weird_ , almost surreal. But even though she couldn't really explain it, it felt as if Sarinda _knew_ her, like they weren't strangers.

* * *

How long had they spent in the library, Sarinda wondered? Rua certainly hadn't exaggerated her love of reading; it had been a few hours at the very least. Thing is, that _should_ have meant that the streets would be far less crowded than before.

On the contrary, they seemed to be quite restless. If the stares and whispers she had received before hadn't been enough, then Rua surely would have her fill now as crowds congested the streets and loudly "whispered" amongst themselves. Sarinda could just barely make out something about her grandfather, too, which (given current tensions) suggested it had something to do with his position as Revered Elder.

She hoped he hadn't gotten himself into too much trouble this time. He was already in a very precarious position, and it wouldn't take much to set the mob against him.

But he was doing the right thing, she knew. He was fighting against a cruel tradition that was serving no purpose but to harm their people. She still remembered when he had first revealed his discovery to the public. It was unheard of, the level of disrespect shown to their so-called "Revered" Elder.

In truth, she had agreed with them at the time. Her grandfather was spouting blasphemy of the highest order. He was suggesting they discard centuries of tradition as if they were moldy rags. Only a fool wouldn't anticipate a _severe_ backlash from that. She remembered well the horrible things that she had said to him when he spoke to her and her parents about it. She had been quite the faithful child, after all.

Then, the demons came, and her world changed forever. Despite all she had said to him, he still loved her and protected her when those monsters took away her family, and even though she was frightened when he first sheltered Rua, she could now count that as another blessing he had given her.

Watching over her for nearly three weeks, listening to her unconsciously speak of the terrible dreams running through her head; Sarinda knew the girl far better than she likely realized, knew much of what she had been through. When she awakened, the only thought on her mind was to let her know that everything would be alright.

"Hey," Sarinda noticed Rua's eyes shifting between the leering crowds, her movements having grown tense, as if she was anticipating an attack, "don't let them get to you. Nobody will try to hurt you while I'm here."

Reaching out to take her hand, Sarinda couldn't help but smile when she felt Rua slip her fingers between her own. "Let's just head back to your room. You shouldn't be out of bed for too long, anyhow."

"Alright," Rua smiled. "I am feeling a bit tired, to be honest."

* * *

What did he hope to accomplish, that Bulbul?

He was far too young to take the position of Revered Elder himself, so he must have a candidate in mind for his replacement. Sarrod, Mohan was willing to bet. There were few more traditional than him, and he had been a vocal opponent of his ever since he unveiled his findings to the rest of the tribe.

No, it wasn't Bulbul pulling the strings; he was just Sarrod's muscle, sent to stir up the crowd so that he could present himself as a voice of peace and tradition to soothe their concerns. It required only this cursory amount of introspection for Mohan to figure out their scheme, but actually _doing_ something about it was an entirely more difficult matter.

Exposing it to the people would just make him sound like a paranoid old loon, since he had little in the way of proof. There likely wasn't even any he could obtain, since it was probably a verbal arrangement between them made in private. No witnesses, no documents.

His public support was in the latrine at this point. He no longer had any allies to call upon. At least amongst the tribe…

"Hm?" Mohan craned his head at the familiar creak of his front door. When he saw the pair of girls enter, he offered them a warm smile in greeting. "Back from your trip to the library, then? You were gone for quite some time."

"Yup, she really tore into those books!" Sarinda snickered at her slightly smaller companion.

Glancing about the room, the younger girl appeared to be rather confused. "Hey, this isn't where I woke up, is it?"

"Indeed not," Mohan stood from his desk, approaching the so-called demon. "This is my home. Now that you are no longer comatose, it wouldn't be fitting to leave you in the intensive care ward. You'll live with us until you fully recover."

"Ah, alright," she replied, a hand reaching down to her stomach when it rumbled. "You wouldn't happen to have anything eat, then, would you?"

Chuckling, Mohan gestured to the kitchen entryway. "There should be something for you to eat in there. It will be the first solid food you've had in quite a while, so eat slowly."

For the past eighteen days, they had been forced to sustain her with gruel. In order to get her to eat even _that_ , Mohan had to use his ki to manipulate her swallow reflex. Such an effort required a great deal of focus and was rather stressful on a man of his advanced years, so he was quite grateful to be done with it.

Turning to face Sarinda after seeing the other girl out of the living room, he relinquished his cheerful expression and allowed his granddaughter to see the weight of his concerns.

"I knew it," she muttered. "People were going nuts out there. What happened?"

"Bulbul," Mohan exhaled sharply, "He actually went through with it, an impeachment."

Sarinda's eyes parted, her hands visibly trembling for a brief moment. "But he's a warrior! What gives him any right to call for an impeachment? How can anyone take that seriously?!"

"Yes, it's true," Mohan folded his arms behind his back, stepping towards a window to observe the enduring commotion outside. "In better times, this would have been seen as laughable, but such is my lack of support. Even someone that isn't a member of the Council of Elders can now demand my removal and no one will stand against them."

"I will!" Sarinda snapped, though the expression on her face betrayed an awareness of her own powerlessness. Mohan could read her like an open book.

Placing a gentle hand upon her head, the Elder smiled. "I know you would, my dear Sarinda. Even in my darkest hour, I know I'm truly blessed to have you by my side."

"G-grandfather," Sarinda whimpered, the corners of her gentle, sombre eyes growing moist. They were so very beautiful, like her mothers. To see them filled with tears, it made his heart sink with regret at having burdened her young shoulders with his blasphemy. "There must be _something_ we can do! We can't just let them exile you!"

Pulling her to his chest in a warm embrace, Mohan gently shook his head. "No, there is nothing _we_ can do. But hope, I believe, has not yet deserted us."

Nuzzling into the warmth of his robes to dry her tears, Sarinda stared up at him with eyes that still dared to believe. "T-then, you've thought of some _other_ way to defeat the impeachment?"

"Not through any _traditional_ means, no," he readily admitted, a weary smile creasing his face. "But over the course of these two years, I have already _thoroughly_ defied tradition. Why stop now?"

Yes, there was no reason to hold anything back at this point. His trump card was ready to be played, albeit only just so.

He would need it, since he knew Sarrod would surely have his own not-so-secret weapon in play.

* * *

"You really believe he'll go that far, Elder Sarrod?" Bulbul trembled, the feel of a cold sweat snaking down his brow filling him with shame. It was unsightly to show such weakness before an Elder, but this?

"He will," Sarrod affirmed. "What other choice does he have? He has no political allies, barely any public support; any hope of a legal triumph has long since passed him by. This is why I am counting on _you_ , Bulbul. On your strength."

More sweat inundated his skin, causing the warrior to hurriedly swipe it away. "D-do you truly believe I can do this, Elder? Its power—"

"It is still badly injured," he waved his hand dismissively, offering the larger man a warm smile. "And you slayed one demon already. Your power has long since surpassed your fathers. Have faith in your abilities, my friend, as I do."

Bulbul felt his shoulders sink; his breathes drawing more steadily with the Elder's encouragement. He strived to show the world the face of a proud warrior, someone that would defend their tribe's traditions and the lives of its people. Someone they could believe in to uphold justice no matter the stakes, but Elder Sarrod knew better. He knew the side of him he couldn't show anyone else.

"Thank you, Elder. I haven't said this enough, but your confidence means more to me than that of any other man," he ran his tongue across parched lips, not being particularly comfortable with such overt displays of affection. If something happened to him, though, he wanted the Elder to hear this. "You have been like a father to me, after that demon stole mine away. I promise on my life that I _will_ see you to victory."

Reaching up to touch the younger man's face, Sarrod chuckled. "I know, Bulbul, I know. Only together can we protect our sacred heritage from those that would subvert it. In three days, we will erase Mohan and his blasphemy forever, along with the demon that has desecrated our homes."

Yes, for Mohan even exile was too lenient. They would have to make an example of him, _he_ would have to. When his spear was soaked in the blood of that heretic and his demon pet, none would ever dare to challenge the sacred teachings of Ravanahatha again, and his father would be avenged.

He had spent too long blaming himself. Two years, _two years_ of screaming in the dark for a righteous fury to rain down from the heavens upon the demon that destroyed his family. No more. He would now place the guilt for his father's murder where it firmly belonged.

In three days, he would _become_ that righteous fury.

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! This one mainly concerned the Valihan and learning more about them, as well as offering a bit more background information on Daarua. Chapter III will be continuing that, though there will be a bit of action as well!_

 ** _Ekruis30:_** ** _Amazing! I love it, I'm so glad I stumbled upon this. I can clearly tell this isn't your first time writing. I can't wait until the next chapter!_**

 _Thank you! I'm glad you stumbled upon it as well! I hope this chapter met your expectations!_


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